The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-06-01
Pioneer Life in Kentucky.

companions encountered in the fields
came to the very doors of their cabins.
and constantly menaced their families.
Indians lurked singly or in parties to
seize prisoner or take scalp when
ever an incautious white should give
the opportunity. Frequent combats
(and each combat ended, as a rule, in
the death of one or both of those en-
gagedD had habituated the men to dan
ger. 1t was later that they felt the
danger of their wives and children.
Late on Sunday afternoon in July q.
1776, three young girls ventured from
the enclosure of Boonesborough to
amuse themselves with canoe upon
the river that flowed by the fort. In
sensibly they drifted with the lazy cur
rent, and before they were aware of
their danger were seized by five war;
rlors. Their resistance was useless,
though they welded the paddles with
desperation. Their canoe was drawn
ashore, and they were hurried off in
rapid retreat toward the Shawnee towns
In Ohio. Their screams were heard at
the fort and the cause well guessed
Two of the girls were Betsey and
Frances, daughters of Colonel Richard
Galloway; the other was Jemima,
daughter of Boone. The fathers were
absent, but soon returned to hear the
evil news and arrange the pursuit. Cal
laway assembled mounted party, and
was away through the woods to head
off the Indians, if possible, before they
might reach and cross the Ohio, or be-
fore the fatigue of their rapid march
should so overcome the poor girls as to
cause their captors to tomahawk them,
and so disencumber their flight. Boone
started directly on the trail through the
thlckets and cane-brakes. His rule
was never to ride if he could possibly
walk. All his journeys and hunts, es-
capes and pursuits were on foot. His
little party numbered eight, and the
anxiety of fathers heart quickened
its leader and found ready response
in the breasts of three young men, the
lovers of the girls. Betsey Galloway,
the oldest of the girls, marked the trail,
as the Indians hurried them along, by
breaking twigs and bending bushes,
and when threatened with the toma-
hawk if she persisted, tore small bits
from her dress and dropped them to
guide the pursuers. Where the ground
was soft enough to receive an impress
sion, they would press footprint. The
flight was in the best Indian method:
the Indians marched some yards
apart through the bushes and cane, COM
pelling their captives to do the same.
When creek was crossed they waded
in its waters to a distant point, where
the march would be resumed By all
the caution and skill of their training
the Indians endeavored to obscure the
trail and perpleX the pursuers. The
nightfall of the first dav stopped the
pursuit of Boone before he had gone
far; but he had fixed the direction the
Indians were taking, and at an early
dawn was following them. The chase
was continued with all the speed that
could be made for thirty miles. Again
darkness compelled halt, and again at
crack of day on Tuesday the pursuit
was renewed 1t was not long before
light film of smoke that rose in the dis
lance showed where the Indians were
cooking a breakfast of buffalo meat.
The pursuers cautiously approached,
fearing lest the Indians might slay
their captives and escape. Colonel John
Floyd, who was one of the party (him-
self afterward killed by Indians) thus
described the attack and the rescue in
letter written the next Sunday to the
lieutenant of Fincastle, Colonel Will
lam Preston: "Our study had been
how to get the prisoners without giving
the Indians time to murder them after
they discovered us. Four of us fired,
and all of us rushed on them, by which
they were prevented from carrying
anything away except one shotgun
without any ammunition Colonel
Boone and myself had each a pretty
fair shot as they began to move off. l
am well convinced | shot one through
the body. The one he shot dropped
his gun; mine had none. The place
was covered with thick cane, and
being so much elated on recovering
the three poor little heart broken girls,
we were prevented from making any
further search. We sent the Indians
OFF almost naked, some without their
moccasins and none of them with so
much as knife or tomahawk. After
the girls came to themselves sufficiently
to speak they told us there were five
ih''idLo, lOuI oudWuutSt anu one AncTO-
kee; they could speak good English,
and said they should go to the Shaw
anese towns, The war-club we got
was like those l have seen of that ma
ton, and several words of their
language, which the girls retained, were
known to be Shawanese.n The return
with the rescued girls was the occasion
for great rejoicing. To crown their
satisfaction, the young lovers had
proved their prowess, and under the
eye of the greatest of all woodsmen
had shown their skill and courage.
They had fairly won the girls they
loved. Two weeks later a general |
went throughout the little
settlements to attend the first wedding
ever solemnized on Kentucky soil. |
Samuel Henderson and Betsey Gala.
way were married in the presence of |
an approving company that celebrated |
The event with dancing and feasting.
The formal lioaneo f,np, tho on,at,,